Buckle



I. B. HOLTZ Aug. 29, 1944.

BUCKLE Filed May 10, 1943 i s 44 g,

1 SIN Uh n10 IBaoz'Z- Wolf.

a A 5% w ,m .HHIH 3 m n WHH I. 12 a a l- /w Patented Aug. 29, 1944UNITED STATES PATENTCFFICE BUCKLE Ireneus Basil Holtz, Ashville, Pa.

Application May 10, 1943, Serial No. 486,370

This invention relates to improvements in 8 Claims.

buckles.

An object of the invention is the provision of a buckle which may beeasily locked in position, and which may be readily released, althoughthe construction is such that the buckle will not be accidentallyreleased when the wearer is traveling through brush which often causesdisengagement of the parts of the ordinary buckle.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved arcticbuckle which has a minimum of parts and which is simple to adjust forkeeping the side edges of a shoe together, the parts being soconstructed that the clasp member can be readily forced into a lockedposition with an associated part in such a manner that the clasp cannotbe accidentally displaced when i the wearer of the shoes is walking.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedbuckle for use on arctics, in which only two parts are required, withone of the parts in the form of a clasp being insertable through a slotin a tongue with lugs on the clasp being adapted to be snapped below therolled side edges of a tongue forming the other part of the buckle, saidrolled edges being provided with openings to facilitate the snapping ofthe lugs towards the tongue so the lugs will be engaged between theportion of the rolled edges between the slots to prevent accidentalrelease of the clasp from the tongue.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawingforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, beingsusceptible of such changes and modifications as define no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

'In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the buckle showing the clasp and tongue inseparated positions.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tongue and clasp in inter-locked relation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal side view of the buckle with the parts shown inoperative relation.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a modified form of the buckle showing the claspand tongue in separated positions.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the buckle shown in Fig. 5 with the parts inoperative position.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken along the line l! of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be seenthat a flat strip of material forming a tongue H] has an opening II atone end to receive a strap l2 for attaching the tongue to one side of ashoe l2 A clasp l3 has one end as shown at I l-pivoted on a plate l3which isconnectedto a strap l5 which may be secured to one side of theshoe or the plate may be secured at a point along one edge of the openpart of the shoe.

The tongue H] has its side edges rolled throughout their length to formresilient catches Hi. The rolled side edges adjacent to inner edges llof these catches are in contact with the body portion of the tongue asshown in Fig. 4 to provide V-shaped longitudinally disposed grooves I9to receive portions of the clasps as will be presently explained. Thebody portion of the tongue is provided with transverse slots 20, whichare sumciently wide and long to readily receive a portion of the claspI3. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 4 thatthe rolled portions l6 areprovided with notches or cut-away portions 2| to somewhat weaken therolled over edges of the members It which are formed of resilientmaterial such as brass or steel for a purpose which will be presentlyexplained. The cut-away portions 2| are in line with the ends of thetransverse slots 20.

It will be noted from the Fig. 3 that the tongue may be curved toconform to the'curvature of the ankle of the wearer where the portion ofthe shoe rests thereon. I

The clasp l3 has a body portion 25 with one end curved inwardly uponitself as shown at 26. It is the curved portion 28 of the clasp which isreceived by the slots 20. The curve of the member 26 is such that themain portion of the body of the clasp is spaced outwardly from thetongue Ill.

The opposite end of the clasp I3 is bent at 30 to provide an outturnedlip 3|. This lip at points beyond the reduced portion 30 of the clasphas laterally projecting lugs or ears 32 It will be noted from Figs. 2and 4 that the lip between the outer ends of the ears 32 is wider thanthe distance between the inner portions of therolled edges l6 so thatwhen the lip is forced toward the body portion of the tongue Ill thelugs or ears 32 will snap past the rolled portion l6 of the tongue, andwill be seated in the groove Ill between the long inner edgesof therolled portion [6 and the adjacent face of the body of the tongue Ill.The clasp [3 is formed of spring material such as brass or steel so thatwhen the clasp is in the position shown in Fig. 3 said clasp will beunder tension between the points where the clasp is received by a slot20 and at the points where the lugs 32 are engaged between the rolledportion I6 and the body of the tongue I0. Furthermore, the fact that theclasp is made of spring material will facilitate the ready applicationof the lip 3| to its locked position, disclosed in Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that amodified form of the tongue is shown at I, and in this case the slots 20which are formed in the body of the tongue have their ends opening innotches or cutaway portions 2 These notches in the rolled portions Hiare considerably larger than the notches 2| in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive sothat the portions 35 between these notches are narrower than the similarportions 35 of the rolled member I6.

The clasp I3 is of the same shape and is of the same dimensions in Figs.5 and 6 as the clasp in Figs. 1 to l inclusive. The other elements ofthe buckle are the same, and therefore similar reference numerals havebeen applied to these elements.

When it is desired to connect the several parts of the buckle together,the lip 3| of the clasp is inserted through the proper slot 2|] so thatthe curved portion 26 will be in the slot. At this time, however, thefree end of the clasp is located above the tongue ID. The lip then ismoved inwardly toward th tongue until the lugs 32 engage the inner sidewalls of the rolled members IS. A sufficient pressure on the lip willcause the ears or lugs 32 tosnap past the inner portions of the rolledmembers; hence the ears or lugs will be received between the free edgesof the rolled members, and the outer face of the tongue I0 as shown inFig. 4. In other words, the rolled members I6, being formed of resilientmaterial as is the clasp I3, with the lip 3|, can be sprung readily intoplace.

Since the lip .is normally bent outwardly from the body of the clasp I3,and since the lugs or ears 32 normally would be above the outer face ofthe tongue H] the lip will be under tension when the clasp is locked inposition. This tension will aid in retaining the clasp in position.Furthermore, when the free. end of the lip 3| comes into contact withtwigs or bushes it will not be accidentally displaced, since the ears 32seated in the grooves l9 will hold the clasp in place.

The ears 32, Figs, 5 and 6, are curved upwardly so that when the claspI3 is in operative position, said ears will be engaged by the metalforming the portions 35 between the notches 2| It is to be borne in mindthat the notches and slots of the tongue must be as wide as the distancebetween the ear 32 of the clasp so that when the clasp is snapped intoplace past the turned-in edges l6 of the tongue, the clasp will be heldagainst movement. Furthermore, the distance between the ears 32 must begreater than the distance between the turned-in edges at points betweenthe ends 2| of the slots 20.

I claim:

1. A buckle for a ShOe comp s a ton formed of an elongated flat strip ofmetal having the side edges thereof rolled inwardly to provide springcatches, said tong e having Spaced and transversely disp d Slots, alatch member formed of a narrow strip of metal and having one endreturned upon itself and inserted throu assae i curved and havinglaterally disposed ears adapted to be forced inwardly towards the tongueand past the rolled edges so that the ears will lie snugly between thefree edges of the rolled side edges for retaining the latch member fromdisplacement, the greater portion of the length of the clasp being outof contact with the tongue, and means on the first-mentioned end of thelatch member and located between the tongue and the shoe for attachingthe latch member to a part of the shoe.

2. A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongue formed of an elongated fiatstrip of material having the side edges thereof rolled inwardly toprovide elongated spring catches, said tongue having transverse slotstherein, a clasp formed of spring material having one end curved uponitself and received by a slot with the free end of I the curved portionbeing located at one face of one of the slots, the other end of thelatch being the tongue while the remaining portion of the clasp isdisposed outwardly thereof the other face of the tongue in progressivelyspaced relation therewith, the last-mentioned portion of the clasphaving the free end thereof curved outwardly from said portion to form alip, said lip having laterally disposed lugs which may be forcedinwardly towards the body of the tongue and past the rolled side edgesso that the lip will be held securely against accidental displacement,

-and means on the first-mentioned end of the clasp for attaching saidclasp to apart of the shoe.

formed of an elongated flat strip of material having the side edgesthereof rolled inwardly to provide elongated spring catches, said tonguehaving transverse slots therein, a clasp formed of spring materialhaving one end curved upon itself and received by a slot with the freeend of the curved portion being located at one face of the tongue Whilethe remaining portion of the clasp is disposed outwardly thereof theother face of the tongue in progressively spaced relation therewith, thelast-mentioned portion of the clasp :having the free end thereof curvedoutwardly from said portion to form a lip, said lip being provided withlateral projections at points along the edges thereof when said lip isbent outwardly from the clasp so that when the lip and projections areforced past the rolled side edges of the' tongue the projections will befirmly held against accidental displacement and the tongue and claspwill be locked together, and means on the first-mentioned end of theclasp for attachin said clasp to a part of the shoe.

4. |A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongu formed of an elongated fiatstrip of material having the side edges thereof rolled inwardly toprovide elongated spring catches, said tongue having transverse slotstherein, a clasp formed of spring material having one end curved uponitself the tongue in progressively spaced relation there-.

with, the last-mentioned portion of the clasp having the free endthereof curved outwardly from said portion to form a lip, said liphaving a transversely disposed portion wider than the space between therolled side edgesrof the tongue so that when the lip is forced inwardlytowards the tongue the lip will snap past said rolled edges and will beretained between said rolled edges and the body of the tongue againstaccidental dis- 3. A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongueplacements,and means on the first-mentioned end of the clasp for attaching saidclasp to a part of the shoe.

5. A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongue formed of an elongated fiatstrip of material having inwardly rolled side edges spaced apartthroughout their lengths, said tongue having,

transverse slots, a, clasp formed of resilient material having one endcurved upon itself with the curved portion received by one of the slots,the other end of the clasp being bent in the opposite direction to forma lip at the free end thereof, the greater portion of the length of theclasp being out of contact with the tongue; lugs projecting laterallyfrom the opposite side edges of the lip, the width of the lip betweenthe free ends of the lugs being slightly greater than the width betweenthe rolled side edges so that when the lip is forced against the body ofthe tongue the lugs will snap into place between the rolled edges andsaid body, means on the first-mentioned end of the clasp for attachingsaid clasp to the shoe.

6. A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongue formed of an elongated flatstrip of material having inwardly rolled side edges spaced apartthroughout their lengths, said tongue having transverse slots, a claspformed of resilient material having one end curved upon itself with thecurved portion received by one of the slots, the other end of the claspbeing bent in the opposite direction to form a lip at the free endthereof, the greater portion of the length of the clasp being out ofcontact with the tongue; lugs projecting laterally from the opposite sidedges of the lip, the width of the lip between the free ends of the lugsbeing slightly greater than the width between the rolled side edges sothat when the lip is forced against the body of the tongue the lugs willsnap into place between the rolled edges and said body, said rolled sideedges being provided with spaced notches to facilitate the in-.

formed of an elongated flat strip of material having inwardly rolledside edges spaced apart throughout their lengths, said tongue havingtransverse slots, a clasp formed of resilient material having one endcurved upon itself with the curved portion received by one of the slots,the other end of the clasp bein bent in the opposite direction to form alip at the free end thereof, the greater portion of the length of theclasp being out of contact with the tongue; lugs projecting laterallyfrom the opposite side edges of the lip, the width of the lip betweenthe free ends of the lug being slightly greater than the width betweenthe rolled side edges so that when the lip is forced against the body ofthe tongue the lugs will snap into place between the rolled edges andsaid body, said rolled side edges having spaced cut-out portions in linewith the ends of the slots to facilitate the insertion of the catchbetween the body and said rolled side edges, means on thefirst-mentioned end of the clasp for attaching said clasp to the shoe.

8. A buckle for a shoe comprising a tongue formed of an elongated flatstrip of material having inwardly rolled side edges spaced apartthroughout their lengths, said tongue having transverse slots, a claspformed of resilient material having one end curved upon itself with thecurved portion received by one of the slots, the other end of the claspbeing bent in the opposite direction to form a lip at the free endthereof, the greater portion of the length of the clasp being out ofcontact with the tongue; lugs projecting laterally from the oppositeside edges of the lip, the width of the lip between the free ends of thelugs being slightly greater than the width between the rolled side edgesso that when the lip is forced against the body of the tongue the lugswill snap into place between the rolled edges and said body, theoutwardly bent lip when forced between the rolled side edges and thebody of the lip being placed under tension thus preventing accidentaldisplacement of the catch, means on said clasp to the shoe.

IRENEUS BASIL HOLTZ.

